


Krimson Snow

by Lady_of_Rohan



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Art, Biting, Blood, Digital Art, Gen, M/M, Mad Scientists, Memory Loss, Snow, Vampire Hunters, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 16:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5096633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Rohan/pseuds/Lady_of_Rohan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Castellanos, vampire hunter, has been chasing evil for as long as he can remember. Unfortunately, that's not very long, as he doesn't remember much besides the urge to fight the undead. Thankfully he's tracked down a cure, someone who can return his lost memories: a vampire he feels he must destroy... but can he really trust Joseph Oda?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Krimson Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween! ^_^
> 
> This differs from last year's AU, because this is a turn-of-the-century fantasy setting, rather than a modern AU where Joseph happens to be a vampire.
> 
> I know it's not the new chapter of Of Sound Mind, but I hope it provides some fun Halloween vibes until I get that up! I wanted to post something before the convention this weekend.

Sebastian stood entirely still, looking out over the balcony of the vampire's lair. The view was breathtaking from the castle, high above even the tallest building, as clock towers glowed like beacons through the fog. He couldn't quite place it, but this city, the atmosphere as the snow began to fall... felt so familiar, so nostalgic, like he was part of it somehow.

  
Of course, there was no way of knowing. Since the incident, he remembered nothing... barely even his name.

  
A twinge of alertness sent the hair at the back of his neck and his arms standing on end, and he sensed him.  Not a moment later, and the other man, or the soulless shell of what was left of him, was standing beside him, gloved hands reaching out to rest casually against the railing. Sebastian hadn't even heard him approach, somewhat amazed by how light on his feet he was. No heartbeat, and no footsteps.

  
The hunter regarded him out of the corner of his eye, his amber gaze alert. Unaffected by the bitter chill of winter, Joseph's bloodless features looked contented and calm. He closed his eyes as the clouds unleashed a flurry of snowflakes, and Sebastian noticed that they didn't even melt when they fell against his bare chest, his waistcoat wide open. Joseph was too cold to be bothered by anything, and even the snow couldn't be warmed by his presence.

  
Eyes still closed, not even looking at him, Joseph seemed to mock him even with his words, his chin tilted skywards.

  
"Normally humans don't like the snow."

  
"At least I can feel it," Sebastian scoffed. The leather of Joseph's gloves was nearly touching the bare skin of his own chapped hand, against that frigid metal railing. It was the closest he'd ever been to a vampire without killing it.

  
"You do anything you can to feel, don't you?" Joseph's voice seemed as delicate as the snow falling steadily over Krimson. He turned his head ever-so-slightly to look at him, as if it was a rare privilege to catch his stare, though it was partially obscured by the glint of his glasses. Slowly, he began to peel his gloves off. "I mean, not that I blame you... after everything that's happened."

  
As his eyes locked with his, Sebastian had an unnerving feeling that grew in his chest, and spread to his limbs, almost making him want to recoil. Or maybe punch him in his smug face. The brown depths of the other man's gaze was simultaneously deadened, but with a certain gleaming quality that made him feel like he was staring directly into his soul each time their eyes met.

  
"Listen, I don't want any more of your shit," Sebastian said gruffly. "Can you give me my memories back, or not?"

  
"If you're truly that desperate, then yes. Of course."

  
"I'm not _desperate_."

  
"You're convening with a vampire... or did you already forget?"

  
Sebastian had nothing to say in response, merely issuing a grunt as he dropped his gaze. Another cutting remark. Joseph chuckled, a surprisingly pleasant sound.

  
"Besides," Joseph continued, as his icy palm was cupped over Sebastian's larger hand. Even though he knew his own hands were numb, Joseph felt void of any heat whatsoever. It made him shiver, like he was touching a corpse. "I don't need to _hear it_ to know why you've gone so far out of your way. I can feel it."

  
Sebastian pulled away, though for a moment he was captivated by the porcelain smoothness of Joseph's hand against his own. So unlike his... which were scarred and roughened from his work in the hunting business.

  
Of all things, Joseph grinned at him, baring those sharp, overgrown canines that overlapped his bottom teeth.

  
 "Your heart is beating very fast. Am I making you nervous?"

  
"Knock it off," Sebastian growled, his voice a low warning, like rolling thunder. There was something strange in the air between them, a sort of electric crackle that made him tingle, and he didn't like it one bit. In other circumstances, he'd have stabbed him by now and hurdled his body over the balcony. He turned to go back inside with swift, steady strides... but Joseph caught him by the upper arm, his grip unrelenting even with his smaller stature.

  
"I can hear the blood coursing through your veins, and I can feel your heartbeat," Joseph whispered as he leaned in close to his ear, his hold on him never ceasing. He could feel his breath against his neck, but it wasn't hot or pleasant, indistinguishable from the freezing winter breeze. "Do you want to kill me, Castellanos? Drive your stake deep inside?"

  
Though Sebastian shivered, he spat a retort. "I don't want anything to do with you, other than to get my memories back."

  
"If you weren't so dense, you'd know that it's better this way. To not know physical or emotional pain... but that's not what you want to hear, is it?"

  
"Stop toying with me."

  
"What you have is a gift," Joseph said, voice a bit gentler as his fingers unclenched, to slide his palm down Sebastian's arm. He could feel his chin pressing against his shoulder as he moved in close, his face very near to his. "Are you sure you want me to rob you of that, Seb?"

  
Sebastian bristled at the nickname as he tugged himself away at last, turning to face him, head-on. Nobody called him that. He huffed out visible breaths that danced and lingered in the air between them, and he noticed that Joseph's weren't visible like his were... a testament to his being alive. He fixated on the exposed skin of the vampire's ashen chest, his instincts telling him to just kill him and get it over with. But his selfishness won over... if he murdered him, it would sever any link to his past, along with Joseph's head.

  
"Just fucking do what you have to do, and let's get this over with." Sebastian was watching his every move, and Joseph smiled again.

  
"Come inside, then, before you catch your death."

  
Somehow, Sebastian already knew that was precisely what he was about to do.

  
Following Joseph's lead, he watched his high-collared coat billow in the wind, as they stepped back inside to the luxurious living area. It was certainly fit for any man, living or undead, and it smelled like musk and incense.  The expansive room housed plush velveteen couches, bathed in shades of red and plum as the furniture surrounded the crackling fireplace. On the walls were portraits of ancestors, priceless works of art, and ancient tapestries... and at the room's center, a chandelier hung magnificently, adding to the firelight.

  
Joseph seemed to be taking his time, his movements slow and deliberate, perhaps a bit flamboyant. Sebastian felt a surge of discomfort as Joseph paused before the fireplace, poised and proper. They fire seemed to lick at his body, bright flames reflecting against the marble floor like hellfire in juxtaposition to Joseph's darkened figure, and Sebastian had no idea why it unnerved him so much.  

  
Sebastian rolled up his sleeve enough to reveal his upturned wrist, and held it out to him with a shrug as he moved nearer to him. "This good enough?"

  
Joseph issued a forced-sounding chuckle. "Is this your idea of ambiance?"

  
"What do you want, my blood in a crystal goblet?"

  
" _Listen_..." Joseph moved in close, meeting Sebastian's smirk, which promptly faded as his hand swiftly moved to grip Sebastian beneath his chin. Eyes narrowing, Sebastian could feel his fingertips pressing against his jaw, stronger than he'd expected. As he spoke just mere centimeters from his face, he was intimately aware of how sharp Joseph's teeth were. "We do this _my way_ , or no way at all."

  
"Fine, _your majesty_ , what do you want me to do?"

  
"It's _Master_. And taking that off is a good start."

  
The vampire's predatory gaze had fallen upon the crimson scarf that was tied around his neck... providing protection from the cold, as well as protection from monsters like him. Sebastian had always been rather fond of it, hardly ever seen without it. Though, he couldn't remember where it had come from. It seemed in some way, that he'd always had it.

  
With a grunt, as Joseph released his hold, Sebastian took a couple of steps backwards, closer to the fireplace. He could feel its heat pouring forth, warming him even through his thick leather jacket. Joseph merely watched, as Sebastian reached calloused fingertips upwards to loosen the garment, letting it hang around his neck. He gave it a tug as the material slid effortlessly, but instead of allowing it to drop to the floor, he handed it over to the vampire. To his surprise, instead of discarding it, Joseph wrapped it around his neck with a flourish.

  
"I'll be wanting that back," Sebastian quipped, as Joseph caressed the garment for moment.

  
"You know, you won't be needing it." Sebastian wasn't sure if he meant as protection from the elements, or from _him_... but he supposed it didn't matter any more. "The jacket, too."

  
When Joseph raised an expectant eyebrow, Sebastian gave a sigh, gripping the sides of his favorite leather trenchcoat before slipping it from his shoulders and arms. This time, the garment fell at his feet.

  
"That's better," Joseph said. In what seemed like an impossibly fast movement, he had closed the space between them, leaving them standing chest-to-chest.

  
"Make it quick," Sebastian hissed, attempting not to look him in the eye.

  
"No guarantees."

  
Sebastian had almost expected the vampire to go straight for the bite, but he should have known by now that the creatures were notorious for playing with their food. Older vampires, especially, seemed to have a nonchalant air about them... well aware of the fact that they had all the time in the world. In Oda especially, it showed.

  
As he placed a cold hand to the side of Sebastian's face, he couldn't help but tense up, muscles going rigid. Part of him wanted to back out of it... but he knew that it was too late for that.

  
Bodies close, Joseph's palms were moving up and down his chest, and then fondling him, groping him... his bloodless hands hungrily wandering wherever they pleased. Face twitching, Sebastian squinted his eyes shut. He didn't want to see this, willing himself to look away from Joseph's darkly intense stare, and he didn't want to react to it, either. Despite his best efforts, he was uncomfortably aware of the quickening of his heartbeat, and the shallowness of his own breath.

  
He could feel as Joseph practically nuzzled against his shoulder like an animal, pulling his shirt collar open, and then the wetness of his tongue as he licked at the heated skin of his neck. Joseph's body shuddered against his, moaning loudly into his ear. Sebastian couldn't help but morbidly wonder how long it had been since he'd fed. What had seemed a bit gentle for a moment swiftly took a turn for the aggressive, as Joseph gripped his shoulders, and then pushed him hard, so that his back was against the nearest wall. A forced huff of air escaped him as his shoulder-blades met with the mantel of the fireplace, not expecting the sudden shove, and though Sebastian struggled momentarily, the vampire was stronger... easily keeping him pinned.

  
" _Fuck you_ ," Sebastian spat, alleviating a bit of his anger.

  
"Not on the first date," Joseph quipped.

  
It seemed that Joseph could contain himself no longer, as teeth, sharp as needles, grazed the side of his neck. As Joseph gripped a handful of hair at the nape of his neck, Sebastian gasped, eyes going wide. His nerves were alerted to white-hot pain as Joseph's teeth sank deeply in, only adding to the heat that he felt against the back of his legs as the fireplace emanated an intense warmth. Blood dribbled in hot rivulets down his neck, and though he tried not to utter a sound, a low groan was issued from the back of his throat. Reaching out to grab anything to brace himself against the pain, Sebastian found himself clinging to the other man as he began to eagerly suck his fluids.

  
The pain was intense and terrifying, unlike anything he'd ever experienced... but it wasn't the physical discomfort that disturbed him the most. His mind flashed with foreign images, like lightning bolts, almost too fast to interpret as soon as Joseph had bitten him.

  
_A man in a police uniform stood side-by-side, guns drawn, with a beautiful woman with feathery blonde hair. The scenery transformed, and the woman was bleeding on the street, blood gushing through his fingertips as he attempted to stanch the bleeding, yelling for her not to leave him. A hospital bed, as he slipped a ring upon her finger. A wedding celebration,  vows given, and dancing well into the night. Bodies bathed in moonlight, naked and divine, as they made love passionately. And then, it was winter... her, delicate fingertips tying a red scarf around his neck, before their hands clasped, and they kissed among the snowfall._

  
Sebastian was hardly aware of the vampire's bite any longer, his body relaxing against him as the images were faster, harder to recognize... as if their consciousness was becoming one.

  
_Kisses gently planted upon a swollen stomach. A vase of lilies in a maternity ward. Cries of a newborn baby, and the glowing face of the prettiest little girl he'd ever seen, held within large palms. Piggy-back-rides. Picnics. Parties. Photographs. The three of them, walking hand-in-hand through Krimson Central Park, a picturesque family. Lips chastely pressed to a child's forehead, tucking her in with her favorite toy, and whispered good-nights and I-love-yous._

  
_A perfect life, until flames enveloped the scenery, lighting up the sky and destroying everything in its path... a house burning down to the ground as smoke billowed like demons, and anguished screaming that echoed through the night and seemed to tear his soul apart._

  
It took Sebastian several long moments to realize that the screaming was his own, and it wasn't just within his thoughts.

  
"Don't fight it," Joseph spoke against his neck, and Sebastian's throat was raw as he tried to catch his breath, still hearing the disjointed echoes of his own anguished cries. "You have to do this."

  
Though Sebastian didn't wish to see any more, as he recounted the horrific events of his own life, he closed his eyes and let Joseph guide him, their thoughts entangled.

  
_A tiny casket, and somber faces as the rain poured down like teardrops. Whiskey bottles strewn about his abode. Shouting voices, face-to-face with his partner, and harsh words exchanged. Reports. Investigations. Accusations. A final confrontation as he tailed her after work, and a blow to the head that cracked his hairline. Waking up in a bathtub, with tubes sticking out of his body at odd angles. Fair features and feathery blonde hair leaning over him, a syringe in hand, as his wife smiled. Searing pain, electric heat that set his nerves alight as he writhed and twitched, but he saw a symbol on her labcoat... like an ice pick impaling a star. Then blackness._

  
Eyes wild like flames, Sebastian shoved the vampire off of him with a force he wasn't sure he still possessed through the blood loss. Joseph was still feeding, certainly getting his fill, but it was too much... his mind reeling with the new information he had longed dearly to remember, but now wished he could forget all over again. With a growl of frustration and pain, Sebastian ran, a palm clamped over his neck as the blood poured freely and stained his hands. In a blur, he stumbled out onto the balcony, leaving crimson droplets that marred the freshly-fallen snow in his wake. Head woozy and limbs leaden, he collapsed down on his knees.

  
When Joseph joined him, he was licking his lips, blood still dribbling down the curve of his chin, as he moved a hand to wipe it away.

  
"Have you found your peace, now?" he asked gently. For once, he wasn't mocking him, but anger was flowing through Sebastian's veins along with the vampire's curse.

  
"You _knew_ ," Sebastian's voice was breathless, with a gravelly edge. "You _bastard_ , you knew!"

  
Joseph crossed his arms, standing before him. "I tried to warn you, didn't I? Did you really expect your past to be so pleasant? So perfect?"

  
"Why did this happen to me?" Sebastian asked, his eyes watery, yet feeling more hollow than ever. He was shaking his head, the information still too much to comprehend as numbness spread from his chest, and throughout his limbs.

  
"Because you got too close to the truth."

  
"The truth...?"

  
"Of Myra's true loyalties, and the death of your daughter."

  
"Myra..." The name suddenly had a familiar bitter-sweetness upon his lips. _His wife_. Sebastian glanced down at his ring finger, where a faded indentation had always been apparent. He'd never understood it before. "But the fire... it... was an accident."

  
"Was it, though?" Joseph raised an amused eyebrow behind his circular spectacles. "Oh, Castellanos, you still have a lot to learn..."

  
"Then why don't you _fill me in_ ," Sebastian demanded. He was in no mood for games. Surprisingly, Joseph humored him, still standing near to him as his coat, as well as his borrowed scarf, billowed in the chilled evening wind.

  
"Your _dearly beloved_ is a member of one of the most clandestine operations that Krimson has ever seen. She worked for KCPD to fund her organization's experiments, and gain information. Lily was merely a casualty."

  
_Lily_... his beautiful daughter. God, he was so thankful to remember her, as she deserved a proper memory... but the barely-healed wound was split wide open all over again. The loss consumed him like flames, his soul left in ashes. Sebastian swallowed hard, fighting a lump that threatened to form in his throat as he forced out the words.

  
"So, the KCPD is corrupt?"

  
"Very much so," Joseph continued. "Being the _clever_ little detective that you are... well, _were_ , you had this all figured out. As punishment, and assurance that no one would find out, they experimented on you and wiped your memories."

  
 "And by 'they,' you mean..."

  
"Myra and her organization, Mobius."

  
_Mobius_. Suddenly, Sebastian recalled why that emblem with the stars was significant. Still, his head swam with the newly-acquired, or rather, refreshed information. Nothing seemed to make sense any more.

  
"And... the woman? My... wife? Where is she now?"

  
"Still alive and well, I'm afraid. I've got quite the bone to pick with her, myself."

  
"That still doesn't explain how you know me," Sebastian said, "how those memories... my memories... were yours to give."

  
At that, Joseph sighed. "That gets a bit more complicated. The machine that they've created is extremely powerful, called STEM. Once inside, it links the subconscious of their host, and its subjects... and they've been trying to find a way to use vampires like me to their advantage." He paused, a smirk playing upon his bloodstained lips. "As you can imagine, I didn't play nice."

  
"Not surprising."

  
"I know all of this, because they attempted to make me a host, and when I was hooked up, you left traces there, and your memories became mine. But it also created a mental bond with you... a very powerful one."

  
"Meaning...?"

  
"... that even the brief time I was there, before I escaped, I was able to sense your thoughts, know your feelings, and even see glimpses into your past. But I could also see what they'd done to you. They needed someone strong enough to kill me, now that I was a threat. They wanted to give you a new goal, a new life, to lead the case colder than it was before and tie up any loose ends."

  
"So that's..."

  
At the horrific realization, Sebastian felt as if his heart had dropped into the pit of his stomach. _Everything he knew was a lie._

  
"... why you're a hunter, yes."

  
A sardonic chuckle was issued from the vampire. "Funny how that works out. The man I've had visions of for so long, the one whose heart I can truly feel, no matter his whereabouts... was the one sent to kill me."

  
A large palm still held to his neck, bleeding profusely, Sebastian gazed up at Joseph's figure silhouetted by bright moonlight. He looked torn, almost melancholy as he stared dazedly out into the night, as if he'd find something tangible there that he could reach out and grab. His pale fingertips toyed with Sebastian's scarf, smoothing along its soft material as the snow continued to fall.

  
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Sebastian asked, after a moment of being captivated by the creature... a creature that he would soon become.

  
"You don't," Joseph said, diverting his attention back to him. "You just have to trust your instinct, whatever that may mean. And if you want to kill me, you're within your right to do so. You have what you came for."

  
"I wish I hadn't come for it at all," Sebastian said darkly, and the vampire's expression softened somewhat.

Joseph removed his own jacket, slipping it from his arms, and draped it over Sebastian's shivering shoulders... a bodily chill that was caused from far more than just the winter. He knew that it was his last few hours of feeling anything remotely human... and his body, his soul, his _everything_ ached in a wretched way, wishing he could just cease to exist.

  
"Sometimes it's better to have no memories, than have ones that can harm you for an eternity."

  
The vampire slipped the crimson scarf from around his neck, replacing it around Sebastian's, its color matching his wounds. As Joseph moved to take his leave, turning on a heel of his boots, Sebastian could see the surgical scar spanning from Joseph's neck, all the way up to the base of his skull, precisely where that high-collar had cleverly concealed it. His lips parted, wanting to say something, but no words came forth. Maybe he believed him, after all.

  
"Oh, and Sebastian?"

  
"Hrmm?"

  
He looked over wearily just in time to see Joseph bending into a bow, one arm crossed over his waist and the other giving a flourish towards the entrance of his far-from-humble abode. His smile was wide, teeth bared as the snow continued to fall, and stained with Sebastian's blood.

  
"Welcome to Castle Oda."


End file.
